When Ye Qiu returned to his wooden cabin—
Xiao Wu, who had just bathed, was already sitting at the table in the main room.
With delicate dark eyebrows, large sparkling eyes like a doll's, and wet long hair draped down, she looked like a living porcelain doll. She rested her chin on her hands, staring at the door, waiting for Ye Qiu to come back.
Hearing movement outside, Xiao Wu immediately stood up. But just as she was about to step out, she paused, pouted, and looked at the doorway.
"Ye Qiu, why did you take so long? My stomach's completely empty now!"
Ye Qiu rolled his eyes and looked at the little bunny who seemed completely restored just from a bath. He replied grumpily, "I went to the village entrance to deliver food to Tang San."
Tap!
Ye Qiu placed two lunchboxes on the table and pushed one toward Xiao Wu.
"Here. Eat."
"Thank you, Ye Qiu!"
Xiao Wu responded sweetly, then eagerly opened the lunchbox.
In an instant, her expression changed dramatically and she let out a startled cry.
"Ahhh—! Ye Qiu! W-why is it like this?!"
"Jeez~"
"So noisy! Do you need to warm up your mouth before eating?" Ye Qiu frowned and lightly knocked Xiao Wu on the head before finally looking at the lunchbox.
Inside, there was a fat, juicy rabbit leg.
"Ye Qiu~ why is there a bunny…"
Xiao Wu clutched her head in both hands, her face full of heartache and grievance.
"It's just a rabbit leg. You've seen them all over the streets. What's the big deal?" Ye Qiu gave her a sideways glance and pushed his own lunchbox over.
"Here, eat mine instead."
As he spoke, Ye Qiu opened up his own lunchbox.
Xiao Wu just glanced at it—and her expression grew even more pitiful, almost crying. She whimpered:
"Ah! Big Sister Xiao Wu doesn't want to eat this…"
"Huh?"
Ye Qiu frowned and looked into the box. Realization dawned in his eyes.
Aside from the rabbit leg, there was also a spicy rabbit head inside.
He shook his head helplessly. "Forget it. You better not eat at all. Just chew on a couple of carrots instead."
Xiao Wu leaned over the table, her little face moving closer to Ye Qiu, looking at him with teary, pitiful eyes. She pleaded:
"Ye Qiu, how about we just throw the food away…"
"Throw it away? That's such a waste. Wouldn't that make the rabbit's death meaningless?"
Ye Qiu, who valued thrift and hated waste, frowned immediately.
"But… but…"
Xiao Wu stammered, then ran to Ye Qiu's side, grabbing his arm and speaking softly:
"I… I'll make it up to you."
Ye Qiu glanced sideways at Xiao Wu, unmoved.
"Make it up to me? You still owe me a bunch of money. How are you going to compensate me?"
"I… I can…"
Xiao Wu bit her pink lips with her pearly teeth. Looking at Ye Qiu's young, boyish face, she hesitated.
"Alright, alright."
Ye Qiu didn't want to argue any further. Filling his stomach came first. Without even looking up, he used his chopsticks to pick out the rabbit meat.
"We're not wasting food. I just won't eat the rabbit meat, that's all."
"Ah!"
Xiao Wu widened her big pink eyes in surprise, joy flashing across them.
Ye Qiu turned to look at her.
"Is that good enough now?"
"Yes! Yes!"
Xiao Wu nodded happily, lips pursed with shyness and playfulness.
"I'll compensate you now…"
"Compensate? With what?"
Ye Qiu lifted his head in confusion, looking at this slightly abnormal bunny girl.
"Huh?!"
Just as he looked up, Ye Qiu's black pearl-like eyes trembled. A warm, soft, slightly sweet sensation touched his lips—it was her lips.
Xiao Wu's face was flushed red. Her bright eyes were watery, long lashes trembling, her pink-and-white bunny ears twitching. Her lips moved slightly, while her earlobes and neck turned a delicate shade of crimson.
Smack!
Ye Qiu snapped back to his senses, raised his hand, and smacked her face, pushing her away as he stood up.
"Ah!"
Xiao Wu cried out and stumbled backward, almost falling to the floor.
"Silly bunny! What are you doing?!"
Ye Qiu's youthful face turned a little red. The difference between taking the initiative and being kissed was huge. He hadn't expected Xiao Wu to compensate him by exchanging rabbit for rabbit like that!
"I-I thought you'd like it…"
Xiao Wu looked up, confusion and embarrassment in her eyes. She bit her red lips and lowered her gaze, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes.
"Who said that?! I think you liked it! Otherwise why would you do that for no reason?"
Ye Qiu wiped his mouth and stared strangely at Xiao Wu.
Even if he did like it, this wasn't the time! It was way too childish and awkward!
"You—you're talking nonsense! I didn't…"
Flustered and red-faced, Xiao Wu stomped her foot as if Ye Qiu had hit a nerve. She bit her silver teeth and huffed in shame and anger:
"You even used to bully me before… Hmph! Stupid Ye Qiu! If you don't like it, fine. I already compensated you!"
As soon as she finished, she stormed into the bedroom, which was just separated by a wooden partition from the hall.
The room was a bit bare. The bedding, still damp from her bath, had been taken outside by Ye Qiu to dry. She could only sit on a stool.
Holding her burning face in her hands, she pouted with deep resentment, scolding Ye Qiu under her breath.
She had worked up so much courage...
As she thought of Ye Qiu, Xiao Wu's eyes dimmed a little. Her red lips moved slightly as if unsure what she was thinking, a trace of worry in her gaze.
Did he think I was disgusting?
Ye Qiu wiped his mouth and watched Xiao Wu walk into the room. Then he sat down again—somehow, with a smug little smile on his face.
---
After a while—
Ye Qiu was just about done with lunch.
Sitting in the bedroom, Xiao Wu finally touched her belly. She was already starving.
Looking around, she stood up and walked to the doorway.
With a shy voice, she asked,
"Ye Qiu, where did you put the carrots you brought back? I'm hungry…"
Ye Qiu raised his hand and pointed to the wall between the bedroom and the hall.
"They're hanging there. Go get them yourself."
Xiao Wu saw the cloth bag hanging on the wall and quickly took it down. She pulled out a few carrots and fetched water from the tank to wash them. Then she returned inside.
As she passed Ye Qiu, her eyes flicked toward him. Seeing that he was almost done eating, she sat down at the table again.
Just as she sat, Ye Qiu stood up, carrying the two empty lunchboxes. He needed to wash them before returning them.
Xiao Wu frowned slightly and pursed her lips, glancing at Ye Qiu with some confusion.
As Ye Qiu went out the door, she turned her gaze away. Holding the carrots in both hands, she took small bites from the tip. Crunch, crunch—they were fresh and crisp.
As she chewed, her eyes kept drifting toward the doorway.
When Ye Qiu came back with the cleaned lunchboxes and entered the house, he immediately noticed Xiao Wu's eyes dodging his and her face looking a bit red.
"?"
Ye Qiu looked at her strangely, sat back at the table, and asked in confusion:
"Why do you keep looking at me? Do you have something to say?"
"I wasn't looking at you! Don't flatter yourself."
Xiao Wu took small bites of her carrot, head lowered, making little humphs.
Ye Qiu raised an eyebrow.
"So you do have something to say?"
He waited a moment. The only sound was the crisp crunch of Xiao Wu munching on her carrot. Ye Qiu rolled his eyes and impatiently knocked on the table.
Knock knock!
Impatiently, he said,
"Do you have something to say or not? If not, I'm leaving."
"…Ye Qiu, will you abandon me?"
Xiao Wu lowered her head, nibbling her carrot. Her voice was very soft.